1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, an image forming system and an electrophotographic print which provide image quality equivalent to silver-halide photographic prints.
2. Description of the Related Art
According to electrophotography, a latent electrostatic image is formed on a latent electrostatic image bearing member (photoconductor) by the action of photoconduction, and charged colored fine particles (toner) are applied to the latent electrostatic image by the action of electrostatic force to thereby form a visible image. Various attempts have been made in the electrophotography to produce high-quality images that are equal to silver-halide photographic prints. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 04-212168, No. 08-211645 and No. 2002-258508 each propose an electrophotographic image-receiving sheet using a highly glossy dedicated paper.
However, such conventional technologies do not yet realize high image quality that is equal to silver-halide photographs (photographic image quality in its real meaning), because hardware such as a medium (electrophotographic image receiving sheet), a printer (image forming apparatus) and a unit for aftertreatment such as smoothing and glossing does not optimally match with a toner to be used.
As the silver-halide photographic prints, an electrophotographic print having substantially an entire surface thereof formed with a toner image is preferred (hereinafter referred to as “borderless print” as the case may be). In contrast, electrophotographic prints are generally formed not as borderless prints but as prints having margins of several millimeters on the periphery in conventional electrophotographic image forming apparatus. This is because when the toner image having a size equal to or larger than that of an electrophotographic image receiving sheet is transferred thereto, excess toner on the edges of the sheet or excess toner applied out of the sheet deposits on and stains the image forming apparatus.
In photo shops (“minilab systems”) or DPE (developing, printing, enlargement) shops which serve to develop and print photographs in situ, a compact printer equipped with a developing unit is placed in the store front to thereby develop and print photographs. Such minilab systems require a relatively large area to equip the printer and a relatively great capital investment, consume large quantity of electric power, must replenish the developer (developing agent), fixing agent and water, must wash the tank and racks periodically and must treat waste liquid, thus requiring much effort and cost.